IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of social media consumption and artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the academic performance of university students in Pakistan. Recently, digital integration has largely impacted students' learning behaviors, study habits, and academic results. This quantitative research study aimed to determine the effects of social media consumption and AI application use on students' academic performance, both negatively and positively. A structured survey is administered to a sample of 400 undergraduate and graduate students from public and private universities from major cities in Pakistan. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used to explore relationships between time spent on social media, frequency of AI tool use, and students' Grade Point Average (GPA). Results from the survey demonstrate that non-academic social media usage creates a significant association with poorer academic performance when comparing social media users to student academic performance. The results indicate that AI tools (writing tools and learning tools) for studying and academia are positively associated with performance and support of learning improvement with grades and learning efficiencies. This study concludes that social media can distract students from academic achievement, but AI application tools have the potential to improve overall student learning outcomes if tools are used for specific purposes. The paper recommends that educational institutions develop awareness programs to guide students on balanced social media use and promote the ethical and productive integration of AI tools in academic work.